Okta CEO discusses identity management role in agentic AI era

At the Oktane '26 investor summit, Okta CEO Todd McKinnon discussed the company's strategic role in the emerging era of agentic AI. McKinnon emphasized that identity management is a critical, yet often underestimated, component of enterprise AI governance.

Okta is positioning itself as a neutral layer that manages connections across heterogeneous systems. This approach is supported by the company's recent announcement of Agent SSO, which aims to establish a first-class identity model for AI agents at the point of connection. McKinnon noted that while platforms like Microsoft and ServiceNow play significant roles, Okta focuses on the necessity of governing connections as agents require access to increasingly diverse enterprise systems.